Tucker for sewing-machines



V 2 SheetsSheet 1. L. H. JOHNSON -& N, REYNOLDS,

Tucker for Sewing-Machines.

Patented Mar. 9, 1880.

NjPEl'ERS. PHOIfO-IJTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D, c.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. H. JOHNSON & N. REYNOLDS.

Tucker for Sewing-Machines.

No. 225,390; Patented Mar. 9,1880.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. LAURINII. JOHNSON AND NORMAN REYNOLDS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TUCKER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,390, dated March 9, 1880.

Application filed December 22, 1879.

' following is a specification.

. This invention relates to that class of tuckers in which one of the folders is connected to the presser-foot of a sewing-machine and the other is adjustably secured to the bed-plate of the machine, its object being to fold the material in plaits of any desired width and guide the same under the needle in position to have a seam formed through three thicknesses of material at the head of each tuck for securing the same in position; to so fold and guide the material that the work will be right side up and open to inspection on the bed-plate of the machine, and that the tucks so completed will lie to the right of the needle, thus permitting the bulk of the material to be arranged and easily handled on the open table to the left of the machine.

It consists in a novel construction and arrangement of guides, folders, and adjustments, by means of which the adjusting devices are all brought to the right or rear of the needle, and the work is passed to the right, the tucks being formed in-full view of the operator, and so guided that their heads pass under the needle in position to have the seam formed through thicknesses ofcloth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a sewing-machine having our improved tucker applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tucker with a piece of cloth folded thereon in position for sewing and having two tucks completed. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are views of the respective parts of the tucker detached.

The letter A designates the presser-foot of a sewing'ma chine, having a flat bent arm, B, projecting to the right from its heel in the form of a loop, both arms of which lievin approximately the same horizontal plane; the front arm extending to a point near and in front of the needle-passage of the presser-foot, and being then bent forward to form the lower plait-folder, C, the free end of which is bent to the right.

The letter 1) designates an adjustable slotted plate, secured to the bed-plate of the machine by means of a thumb-screw, E. This adjustable plate has pivoted on top of its rear end, at l, a plate, M, projecting beyond the plate D toward the operator, and provided with a hinged finger, F, extending in front of the presser-foot, bent back to form the plaitpassage G, and carrying at its bent back end the upper plait-folder,H,aportion,h, of which, when in use, lies above and in a plane parallel with the straight portion 0 of the lower folder.

A spring-arm,N, is pivoted to the top of plate D near the front edge of the latter, and extends rearward over and beyond the plate M, and is bent to form arecess, a, which snuglyembraces said plate, the tip of the arm N being bent upward to form a thumb-piece, a. This arm holds the plate M, finger F, and folder H in working position, and may be raised to release the plate M and allow it and its connected parts to be swung rearward, withdrawing the folder G from the tuck, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

A slotted horizontal gage-arm, I, is secured to the rear face of the presser-foot by a thumbscrew, z', and is bent forward and downward at its right-hand end to form the gage K, the foot 7c Of which rests upon the plate D. By this gage is regulated the distance between the tucks, and the width of the tucks is governed by the position of the plate B.

In commencing to work, the width of the tucks and their distance apart having been determined upon, it is necessary to form a crease or straight-edge upon the cloth, in order to guide the same by the gage-foot is; but the crease need not be made if the tucks begin near enough to the edge of the cloth to permit said edge to be used as a guide. The plate D is then adjusted and secured in such position that the oblique portion of the upper folder, H, shall cross the oblique portion of the lower folder, 0, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, and the straight portions of these folders shall be separated a distance equal to the proposed width of the tucks. The gage K is then set with its foot is at a distance from the part h of folder H equal to the distance the tucks are to be separated. The straight-edge or crease of the cloth is then placed at the said gage-foot k by drawing the cloth under the front portion of the bent arm B. The cloth is then folded to the right over the straight portion 0 of the lower folder, O, and then back to the left over and upon the straight portion h of the folder H. Thetuck isthus stretched toward the right and carried by the folder H, and the head of the tuck is guided under the needle by the folder 0, the stitches being formed through three thicknesses of the cloth, and the tuck completed precisely as folded, and in full view of the operator, so that the cloth can be easily guided. As the cloth is carried along by the feed devices of the machine the folders will automatically and continuously fold it as it is drawn upon them.

In first placing the folds of cloth in position itis found quite advantageous to have the finger F hinged, as shown, in order that the plate D may not be strained and bent by raising the presser-foot and the other necessary manipulation. I

In tucking skirts or other tubular work, as the tuck approaches completion the arm N may be raised to release the plate M, and the What we claim is v 1. The tucker consisting of the adjustable plate D, having the connected hinged finger F, carrying at its backwardly-bent end the folder H, and the presser-foot, having projecting from it laterally the bent arm B, carrying at its free end the lower folder, 0, the straight portion 0 of which stands in front of the needle-passage of the presserfoot, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the adjustable plate D, of the pivoted plate M, provided with 

